Improvement in rowlocks



. E. DAVIS.

Row-Locks.

Patented Aug. 3, 1 875.

Fig.1.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. DAVIS, OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO HIMSELF AND ISRAEL C. MAYO, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEM ENT IN ROWLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,193, dated August 3, 1875; application filed June 1, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. DAVIS, of Gloucester, of the county of Essex, of the State of Massachusetts, have made a new and useful invention having reference to Rowlocks for Boats; and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of my improved rowlocks and its holdingbracket. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 an edge view, of the rowlock. Fig. 4 is a top View, Fig. 5 a front elevation, Fig. 6 a rear elevation, and Fig. 7 a transverse section, of the bracket.

My invention relates both to the rowlock and its bracket, each being cast or made in one piece of metal.

The rowlock (shown at A) is furcated for reception of an oar, and has to the lower end of its shank s a ball, a. It also has the shank s, flattened on oppositesides, as shown at b b, or wider in one direction than it is in a direction at right angles thereto. The bracket B, composed mainly of two plates, 0 d, arranged at a right angle to each other, as shown, is provided with a cylindrical socket, 6, arranged vertically and open at top, and opening at bottom into a ball-socket, f, which is open in rear, as shown at g, the opening 9 being large enough to admit the ball a into the said socket f. The shank-socket e is open in front, as shown at h, the opening being continued down through the ball-socket to its rear opening g. The opening h has a'width a little greater than the narrower part of the shank of the rowlock, but not so great as that of the wider part of said shank. When the rowlock stands in the bracket at right angles therewith, such rowlock may be turned down through the slot h, and brought into the position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1; but when the rowlock is up, and in a position for holding an oar for use in rowing or seulling a boat, such rowlock will be kept up by itsshank and its socket. The rowlock, while supporting an oar, can be freely turned thereby either way in its socket, as may be required in rowing or seulling with such oar. After the oar may have been un shipped or removed from the rowlock the latter may be turned down, so as to be out of the way, especially when the boat may be going alongside of a vessel or landing-place. The bracket is to lap on, and be secured or otherwise properly fastened to, the gunwale of a boat, which will serve to lap such rowlock -in connection with the bracket, and thereby prevent the rowlock from being stolen or accidentally lost.

I do not claim a rowlock pivoted to a short shaft, pivoted, in its turn, to a socketed bracket, provided with a bolt or slide to hold up the rowlock, all being substantially as shown in 2. For use with such a rowlock, the bracket B, provided with the ball-socket f, open at bottom and in rear, and with the shank-socket 6, open in front, and opening out of the ballsocket f, all being substantially as set forth.

FRANK E. DAVIS. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, J. It. SNOW. 

